Bernice Summerfield: Principle of Diversity
by Emilia Dutra Pinto
Summary: A normal day at the Braxiatel Collection is not what this guy was expecting!


The Principle of Diversity

Then it was happening again. That "fist time feeling". I'm sure everyone have experienced it many times during life. The first day at school, then again at university, again when you got the first job, when you quitted your first job to try a new one. At school is certainly easier situation because almost everyone else is living the same problem. But when you are starting in a new job is certainly worse, it is like if everything is already working in a clockwise perfection that your arrival probably would add nothing to its functions. In time this sensation fades away and you became part of the team. But it requires time, it not happens suddenly. My first time case was a little different.

Occurred when I arrived in the Braxiatel Collection.

I won a 6 months pass, when my thesis on "infra-subwoofer concerts", was approved by the Educational High Council of Melunda Prime, my home planet. The prospect of turning my theories into a real application roused the spirits of politicians and diplomats. In a matter of weeks, they traded their stock of potassium enhanced bananas for a lot of robot parts in the Swapping Market of Lenx KL. Those robot parts were resold in a non-conventional way to also non-conventional scientists, I just hope they were not linked with those cyborg organizations. Then they had the funds to buy me a second hand pass, they didn't want to expect months to get a free pass through bureaucratic ways.

The reason for my trip was because some catalogs of the Collection showed ancient alien artifacts that were very similar to the unsuccessful prototypes we tried to build based in my sketches. So this was my so important mission, a 20 years old electronic technician, financed by my entire planet resources and hopes, forced to build a gadget that would certainly revolutionize our way of living... Or at least be famous being the shame of a entire generation. That is what I call pressure.

The cargo ship, they could not hire me a space taxi, trasmatted me into a large room that seemed to be a great hall with some wood benches perfectly aligned to its wall. It was like a train station or a seaport, but with no train or ship to catch. It was just a reception area as I realized, a exclusive limited place to be transmatted, without that limitations the people would be able to teleport into a restricted area.

My commissary said that would be people waiting my arrival, so I sat in the bench and waited.

It passed five hours when I started to feel abandoned. No one entered the station during all that time. Till that moment the strangest thoughts visited my mind because I never had encountered an alien in my life. I've heard tales about aliens made of air or energy, so I reasonably could not be alone, they could be there all the time just unable to communicate with me. No, it was a sample my excessive imagination working wildly. No, my Comissary said to me that the aliens had strange manners but were people almost like us. I also checked that my pocket universal translator was on. So that was no need to worry.

Another five hours later, someone entered the room, he was an Earthling. I say Earthling because by that time the planet Hum Hum was fighting for the usage of the term "Human". The person was exactly how my friends described. It was little higher than the average Melundies and it had a fluffy head. By the book, males should have a short hair length and females, the opposite, allowed were some exceptions. He was an exception.

'Is anybody here?' Asked the man. As I was out of his point of view I realized that he hadn't noticed me.

'I'm here.' I answered then headed in his direction.

'Is this the water supply building?'

'I don't know, I just arrived.' As he remained quiet I continued. 'I believe that is the reception room.'

'Oh man! Were there arrives scheduled for today? I'm sorry man.' He walked towards me. I found very weird the way those Earthlings walked, his moves were slowly and premeditated. He extended his hand for shaking, as I had studied, a usual gesture denoting social acknowledgment. 'Hi, I'm Jason!'

'Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Nek Lheleerl, I'm from Melunda Prime.

'What a day you chose to arrive! Feeling a little disoriented, hmm?'

'Yes, It takes time to adapt to a new environment.'

'I'm sure you will like this place, well, in a normal situation. I assume that you are here for research…' He held the doorknob indicating me the way out.

'Indeed, sir.' Then for the first time in my life I stepped into an outdoor environment, it was so marvelous that I cannot describe in few words. For centuries the people of Melunda lived underground in a huge complex of caves. I was aware that it would happen during my time in the Collection, but was not prepared to feel it. I tried hard to hold my emotional reactions, but I think Jason did not notice.

'Well, I cannot guide you through the collection right now, I have to check the water house.' Jason looked around helplessly then hold my arm pointing it to a certain direction. 'Go straight this way, I think, you may find some people there that could instruct you how to proceed. Good luck.'

'Thank you Jason' I said as he went to the opposite way, moving in that funny way Earthlings did, he eventually bumped into a bucket and rolled down in the pavement.

'It was nothing.' He yelled. 'Nek! Pay attention! Try not to bump out on the fountain.'

How could I miss the fountain? Certainly the most beautiful water fountain I have the chance to visit, . At its side I took some minutes to contemplate the feeling of being outdoors. The air was fresher, in human standards probably, but it was free of the scent of mud or metal as I was used to feel all my life.

The citadel was empty as well as almost every building I tried. Then I spotted a person walking in the fifth floor of a six store building, It was probably a woman since its more prominent chest. She was closely analyzing a portable piece of machinery, she suddenly turned the wrong turn and troubled over the balcony. She quickly managed to get the grip of the outer railing with one hand, the machine fell down to the ground near me.

'Somebody help me!' She yelled then murmured. 'Goddess, as if someone around would be of any use!' The railing was beginning to bend, as every building on the Collection it was old or had old-like theme, in this case was a old metal railing and it was not holding out for long. 'Here four... Fifth floor!'

I had to do something to help her. 'I'm here, I am going to do something.'

'Who the hell are you? What are you doing here? Forget it, help me anyway!' She replied, a little surprised at once, but desperately at last. 'Quick! Follow my voice!'

My brain rushed calculations, could I grab her during the fall? No, then I had to run into the building and catch her over the balcony. It was what I did, in less than two minutes I climbed the inner stairs and arrived the balcony.

'I'm here, grab my arm.'

She managed to hold me and passed into the balcony again in safe. 'Wow, thank you. Imagine me, that had my time in extreme adventures, dying in a stupid accident right here in the Collection!' She fixed the condition of her clothes and more calm continued. 'Hi, I'm Benny. Your skin is weir-- different! What species are you?'

'My name is Nek Lheleerl, I'm from Melunda.'

'The planet with crazy aquatic monkeys?'

'No!'

'Hmm, odd. I know, it's the one exports those small bananas!'

'That's right.'

'I knew I knew! Bananas and monkey are always linked… mostly.'

We slowly descended the stairs and went to the spot where the machine has fallen down, she checked its functions and declared that it was not working. The machine was still in one piece and its visor still irradiating heat, was okay in my opinion and by its shape I assumed it was some sort of sonar.

Benny suggested that we should head for the auditorium where all the people resident in the Collection were waiting for her. She tried to explain me that they were in some kind of imminent crisis and they were gathering to find a solution.

She took almost half an hour to cross a small square and reach the theater. I followed her. Thousands of people were sat in the auditorium chatting randomly and loudly. There were another alien species there that I could not recognize, besides Earthlings and one huge Martian. My entrance in the room did not caused any commotion, they should deal with aliens all the time, nothing should new impress them. So I quietly sat on the last row and Benny walked more then climbed up the stage, she joined a man who was trying to begin a speech.

'Shut up! Everybody!' The man yelled with no success, the public continued their noise uninterruptedly.

Benny impatiently stirred and found a glass pedestal was probably used to support papers for lectures. She kicked it away, the pedestal hit the ground and shattered producing an enormous noise. All the murmuring from the public resumed into silence instantly. 'That will do.' She sharply yelled as my translator strangely registered.

'Pay attention please.' The man shouted. 'As everybody certainly have noticed, for the last two days, we are living --.' By this time my translator started to malfunction, some words they were saying did not process. Her yell should have took it out from its default configurations.

The man continued. 'It has started when our beloved professor Bernice Summerfield, brought from Calumbas 9, the legendary Moon Artifact.'

'The ancient tribes of Calumbas used to believe that stone had the power to summon clouds and block the power of the Sun. With no heat from the Sun they could perform they annual mating ceremony... that were recorded to last 3 days continuously.' Some of students of the crowd emitted some whoosh sound, she replied. 'Yeah, the tribesmen knew how party.'

'Hmm, what Benny did not know was the fact that this stone had practical power, not only legendary.'

'There were some built in switches in the rock that when aligned produced the magic effect of absorbing the entire planetoid's glitch .' She concluded, the glitches in the translations were worsening. 'Brax?'

Benny called him Brax, the man in the stage should be Braxiatel, the rich owner of the Collection. 'All our systems are working properly but without glitch we cannot operate them. All our computers and machines were not designed to be controlled by people with special disabilities, because for centuries, we can cure or fix almost every kind of disability.'

'I may be able to manipulate back the switches in the stone and reverse its effects. But when it was turned on, it just flew out of my hands and went away through my window. It for sure did not leave the atmosphere and it still is somewhere in the Collection.' Benny explained.

'Did you find where the sonar machine was?' Braxiatel asked her.

'Yes, I almost died doing it, anyway. As you said, the sonar was working, it scan the surroundings and displays it in the small screen, but in the actual condition we can not comprehend what is being displayed.'

'The same way we can not call for help without operating the communication computers.'

'What are we going to do now?' Benny queried.

'So, as small as the planetoid is, we do not have any option other than search for it, literally and manually. We can gather organized crews that will have to crawl and try to find the stone, tapping the ground.'

'This is madness!' Benny raised her voice again. The public also got uneasy with Braxiatel declaration.

'If anyone had any other idea, I would be please to listen to it.' Braxiatel concluded. This stone artifact should be very small so they could not locate it easily. I still did not get exactly what it caused on them. 'We still have to hope that the stone hasn't fell into a river, a swimming pool, over a roof or a in tree. But the best solution still is to search.'

Benny described: 'Well, The stone is not bigger than this...' She gesture her hands trying to fit the size of the stone, then she frowned. 'Forget it... it is like two tea saucers on over the other in a convex way…'

Then my blood flooded up into my head, I got so nervous that I was shaking, because I knew where the stone was. 'It is in the fountain, near the reception area.' I finally said.

'Who is the owner of that strange voice?' Braxiatel asked.

'It is Nek, I met him earlier.' Benny emotionally declared. 'Hey Nek, keep talking, I'm coming to you!'

At this time the people in the seats were already moving and screaming. 'The rest of you stay calm in here. Benny and I are going to check it.'

So we left the theater, they were walking that slowly way, but this time I was so nervous that I could not match their steps, I just rushed and reached the fountain before them. The stone was in the water but was at my arms reach, I took it out and handed it to Benny.

'Cross your fingers!' Benny moved the small parts of the stone, some minutes passed and nothing happened.

'I think it did not worked!' The translator registered a weird sound, but I still hadn't noticed any difference in the environment. But at distance a crowd was yelling something unintelligible.

'Oh Goddess. Oh Goddess. He is a... He is a...' Benny said exasperatedly.

'He is a Melundy, it all makes sense now.' Braxiatel commented pensively.

'Yes, I am, but what changed? Did the stone work?' I asked, by that time, the people were jumping happily out the theater, looking around and screaming. The situation was very confuse to me. Did the artifact function get reversed? But why didn't I notice?

'He has no eyes and no ears, he is a stingray-ish creature...' Benny analyzed me.

'He does not need these. His species detect the environment by the most powerful biological sonar in the universe. 1000 times better than the Earth's bat. That is how he was able to locate the stone, even when we got no glitch .' Braxiatel stated correctly the nature of my race. 'They lived in underground cages for millennias, they had no reason for glitch , so the head sonar was the only sense that evolved, the others atrophied gradually till it turned obsolete, a very interesting creature.'

'It explain that terrible color patterns in his clothing!' Benny was so impressed, that what joking was the easiest escape, she was still figuring that his different senses was what luckily saved her at the balcony accident, a huge coincidence. She had seen the strangest aliens before, but Nek's face, or lack of it, was at least shocking.

'You did not hear the words we say as well, did you? The translator does it for you in a low frequency that only you understand.'

'You are right Mr. Braxiatel, but there is still some a words that my translator cannot fully register, I still do not understand what happened. Please, say some of the words again!'

'What words? Eyes?' Braxiatel tried.

'Spot?'

'No!'

'Feel?'

'Bazookas?'

'No!'

' glitch ?'

'Yes, this one!' I finally identified.

'Let me look at that.' Braxiatel verified my universal translator. 'Off course, it did not work, it is 30 years outdated.' He tapped some buttons that were inside the translator casing. 'I think this will make it download the updates from the Collection wireless interface, you will understand the words with context now, I hope.'

'Say the word, Mr. Braxiatel.' I solicited.

'Light. The word is light. We humanoids as almost every being in the galaxy use eyes to perceive the world around us.' He finally explained, and I could understand the context of the word and its signification, since his modifications in the translator. The artifact robbed them their most directional sense that was why they could not move properly. All their machines could interpret the surroundings and help them, by in the end, light was the mean that transported the data from the visors to their eyes, so there was no way manipulate any computer with safety.

'Nek, you saved the day!' Benny declared.

'He certainly did. All the collection is grateful to you. I know the nature of to you visit the Collection, I read the memo.'

'Do you?'

'Music, that is about, your race discovered that your ancestors used to have music and it was a marvelous sensation, but the difficulties of evolving made your configuration unable to interpret music by any existent sense, even with the most modern translators. Your work is about infra-subwoofer, a way to translate all music frequencies in vibrations you could sense through the skin.' Braxiatel finalized. 'We will do the best to help you.'

This was a very touching moment, at first I was happy of being useful even if it was just by coincidence. Then because my goals were rightly directioned, if there was a place in the galaxy I could study about that was in the Collection.

'Nek, do you heard about Helen Keller? Wow sorry, you do not "hear", do you know about her?' Benny asked cheerfully.

And finally because the people were liking me, at first impression.

5


End file.
